Total FREAK-Out

By Emma T. Graves and Binny Boo

Tulah Jones, secret twelve-year-old zombie, is STRESSED. She needs a job to support her raw meat diet, plus she's hoping dreamy Jeremy Romero will ask her to the school's Monster Mash Dance. But Tulah's hunger-fueled rage outs are getting worse, and she keeps embarrassing herself in front of her crush! Tulah is fed up with feeling like a monster! How can she ever be comfortable in her undead skin? Featuring hordes of comic art and hilarious misadventures, kids will eagerly devour this tale of undead tween life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: May 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781515887515

Emma T. Graves

Emma T. Graves has authored more than 90 books for children, and has written about characters both living and dead. When she’s not writing, Emma enjoys watching classic horror movies, taking long walks in the nearby cemetery, and storing up food in her cellar. She is prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

I sucked down the last drops of my embalming fluid and raw egg smoothie. Yes, it was every bit as delicious as it sounded. Then I set my cup on my desk feeling … unsatisfied.

The formaldehyde mix had been whipped up by my friend Angela to keep me looking and feeling fresh. The smoothie would be deadly to the living, but it was a real after-lifesaver for this zombie. The special embalming chemicals in it stopped corpses from going bad. It was pretty much the only thing keeping me from turning into a pile of rotting dead meat.

Angela had also added a few eggs to the recipe. They were supposed to help control my hunger and the bad moods that came with it. But lately it hadn’t been doing the trick.

I looked at the empty cup and sighed. After downing my whole Sunday supply of smoothies, I was still starving.

To distract my hollow stomach, I turned back to the sewing tutorial I was watching on my laptop. I’d been trying to dedicate my weekends to learning useful zombie hacks.

You’d be amazed how handy sewing was to the undead. See, when you were no longer living, you tended to lose parts. Not long ago, I had to reattach my pinky on opening night of the school musical. (Thank goodness we found the finger in my dress pocket and not rolling around onstage!)

Ever since then, I’d been trying to improve my stitching skills. Angela was there to help that night of the musical, but what if I lost a toe when I was by myself? Or worse?

I tried to make a knot in the thread so I could practice a stitch. It wasn’t easy when you couldn’t feel your fingertips very well.

Without thinking I let out a growl as the thread slipped out of my fingers. I felt like kicking my desk, turning it over, and smashing it to bits—only I’d probably do more damage to myself.

I took a big breath and tried to keep my cool. Not only was I feeling more and more hungry lately, but being hungry was making me more and more grumpy.

Deep breaths weren’t going to solve this problem. I needed food. NOW!

I yanked open my bedroom door and grumbled my way to the kitchen.

My little brother, Jaybee, was already there. He was leaning into the refrigerator. Luckily, my parents were in the backyard. They liked to garden together on the weekends.

I charged toward the fridge. Out of my way! I shouted, shoving Jaybee across the kitchen.

Ow! Tulah! he yelled as he ran into the counter.

Jaybee held his side and rubbed the sore spot, but I didn’t care. I needed meat! Raw meat!

I checked my options in the fridge. I’d used the last egg in my smoothie. Everything else—all the food that I had loved back when I was a living vegetarian—looked disgusting!

Cheese? Hard block of yuck.

Peanut butter? Slimy brown slop.

Hummus? Beige blech.

Baby carrots? Orange barf nuggets.

I didn’t even like cereal anymore! It was almost unbelievable. I mean, who didn’t love sugary, crispy flakes?

Me.

"UUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHH," I groaned.

All regular foods made me ill. Like, they actually repulsed me. Even if I managed to choke something normal down, it came right back up. And it wasn’t pretty. The ONLY thing I could eat (and the only thing I craved) was raw protein. That meant a diet of raw chicken, raw beef, and raw eggs.

I slammed the fridge closed and jerked open the freezer.

Are you OK? Jaybee asked. He still stood back near the counter. He hadn’t taken one step closer to me.

I whirled on him. What do you think? I snarled. "Do I look OK?"

Jaybee stayed quiet. I think I scared him.

I think I